The introduction of legalised euthanasia in the Netherlands has not led to an increase in thenumber of cases according to a team of Dutch university researchers, writing inThe Lancetmagazine.While there was a slight decrease in the years after euthanasia was made legal in 2002, assistedsuicide has now returned to prepre-legalisation levels of around 2.8% of all deaths, the researcherstionfrom four Dutch teaching hospitals and the national statistics office CBS found.And while opponents of euthanasia had warned the legislation would lead to a sharp rise ininvoluntary euthanasia amo terminally-ill patients, there has actually been a reduction in thisamongillsort of deaths, professor BregjeOnwuteaka Philipsen from Amsterdam's VU university told theBregjeOnwuteaka-PhilipsenVolkskrant.Based on interviews with 6,000 doctors and research into 7,000 deaths, the team found just 300cases of euthanasia where the patient had not given explicit consen in 2010, compared withconsentaround 1,000 in the years prior to legalisation.

Openness

'This is probably because there is more openness and doctors talk to their patients at an earlierstage,' OnwuteakaOnwuteaka-Philipsen told the paper.The researchers also found some 600 people forced an end to their own lives in 2010 bystopping eating and drinking. In around half of these cases, euthanasia had been refused.Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands under strict conditions. For example, t patient must bethe'suffering unbearably' and the doctor must be convinced the patient is making an informedchoice. The opinion of a second doctor is also required.